Dog's Wellness Advisor

In about two months, Israeli company Oggii is expected to launch a pilot commercial release of a chip for monitoring  dog’s movements to measure its overall health.

In the $55B US pet market Oggii is taking the guesswork out of optimizing dog longevity by creating a combination of a noninvasive collar-mounted chip and an application addressing such issues as nutrition, health monitoring, and fitness; personalized recommendations are delivered to help dog owners make informed decisions across key longevity factors.

Blood pressure or heart rate cannot be used as reliable indicators of canine health. The Oggii chip correlates pet movements with possible problems such as ticks, skin allergies, seizures, arthritis, poor joints, brain damage and even ear infections, which account for 30 percent of all visits to the vet.

Using patented complex algorithms, the chip detects a variety of patterns like walking, running, sleeping, drinking, playing, head shaking, etc. This information is collected and analyzed over time.

There are some conditions, such as heartworm or cancer, that Oggii cannot detect directly, but it can alert a pet owner that something is wrong. For example, cancer usually manifests itself in particular movement patterns and lower activity levels.

The system compares movements of the dog to itself over time, to other dogs in the “cloud” connected to and using the Oggii chip, as well as to averages and expected behaviors in the dog world at large.

Visits to the vet are costly, so pet owners usually postpone until conditions have developed in more serious ways. Using a $30 Oggii chip could save dog owners money, and the dog unnecessary suffering.

One of the biggest challenges veterinarians face is the patient being unable to say where it hurts and give other relevant history. The Oggii chip can provide this information.

There is no need to charge the long-life battery. It is simply replaced after a year when the battery drains.

Other companies have floated similar solutions, but they cost $100 to $150 and only measure movement. When these other systems collect data, there are no clear action items for pet owners to take.

In Oggii’s case, the coin-sized chip is worn on the collar and from there it transfers information via a zero-energy Bluetooth 4 technology to an owner’s cell phone up to four times a day. This information then goes to the cloud, where it works its magic to let the dog owner know if his or her pet might be sick.

Designit, Europe’s biggest brand innovation company, has partnered with Tel Aviv-based Oggii. Financing comes through angel investors, as well the incubator TheTime. The company was founded in 2011 and will seek additional financing sometime in next year.

Oggii is also conducting negotiations with such companies as PetSmart, Walmart, and Procter & Gamble.

Source: Israel21c